VEPs IN RESPONSE TO SELECTIVE SHORT-WAVE CONE PATHWAY STIMULATIONS IN HYPOTHYROIDISM

Authors

  • Milena Slavcheva Mihaylova Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
  • Kalina Ivanova Racheva Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
  • Tsvetalin Totev Totev Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
  • Ivan Milenov Hristov Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
  • Emil Slavev Natchev Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria

Keywords:

VEPs, Colour vision, Hypothyroidism

Abstract

Hypofunction of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) is a condition of reduced or missing synthesis of thyroid hormones. Hypothyroidism has an increasing prevalence and therefore is a socially significant problem for both affected individuals and the society. It is well known that thyroid hormones play an important role in the functioning of the nervous system. The lack or reduced amount of thyroid hormones could cause damages in the sensory systems. However, the study of visual deficits in people with hypothyroidism is extremely rare in the literature, probably because the general symptoms of hypothyroidism are severe and hormone replacement therapy is started before vision changes caused by thyroid hormone deficiency manifest themselves.
The aim of the present study was to search for a suitable electrophysiological approach to study the potential disturbances in the visual system of patients with an acquired primary hypothyroidism. We hypothesized that it is most likely to find potential visual malfunctions caused by hypothyroidism in the blue-yellow colour vision system, which is known to be more vulnerable in a number of diseases.
Two groups of participants took part in the study – a group with hypothyroidism and the control group without thyroid dysfunction. Electrophysiological responses were obtained in two different conditions. In the first part of the experiments we registered visually evoked potentials (VEPs) during the above-threshold blue increment and decrement stimulation presented on a bright yellow background in order to selectively stimulate the short-wave cone pathway. The results showed delayed VEP latency in response to both blue increments as well as decrements in hypothyroidism. In the second part of the experiments the VEPs were recorded in response to isoluminant stimuli, appearing at 20° eccentricity along the temporal retinal meridian. The responses showed shorter latency and greater amplitude of the first negative wave recorded to “red” stimuli while this wave was the smallest and with longer latency to “yellow” stimuli and with intermediate values – for “blue” stimuli. The results obtained show a delay in visual information processing in hypothyroidism. Although promising results of the modified two-colour threshold method of Stiles as well as of the silent substitution method, both approaches suffer from certain limitations and we suggest further improvements.

Author Biographies

Milena Slavcheva Mihaylova, Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria

Department of Sensory Neurobiology

Kalina Ivanova Racheva, Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria

Department of Sensory Neurobiology

Tsvetalin Totev Totev, Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria

Department of Sensory Neurobiology

Ivan Milenov Hristov, Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria

Department of Sensory Neurobiology

Emil Slavev Natchev, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria

Department of Endoctinology

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Published

2022-03-30

How to Cite

Slavcheva Mihaylova, M., Ivanova Racheva, K., Totev Totev, T., Milenov Hristov, I., & Slavev Natchev, E. (2022). VEPs IN RESPONSE TO SELECTIVE SHORT-WAVE CONE PATHWAY STIMULATIONS IN HYPOTHYROIDISM. KNOWLEDGE - International Journal , 51(4), 585–590. Retrieved from https://ikm.mk/ojs/index.php/kij/article/view/5100

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